Circuit interrupter



Dec. 27, 1932. ALBR|GHT 1,892,454

I CIRCUIT INTERRUPTER Fi'led March 10, 1951 John Albrisht I N \ILN'FOR Patented Dec. 27, .1932

UNITED STATES JOHN G. ALBBIGHT, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO CIRCUIT INTERRUPTEB- Application filed larch 10, 1931.

This invention relates to circuit interrupters, and has for an object the provision of new and improved devices of this character.

In the drawing accompan ing this specifi- 5 cation and forming a part this application I have shown, for purposes of illustration, one form which my invention may assume, and in this drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of an em- 19 bodiment of the invention,

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view of said embodiment,

Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of an embodiment of the interrupting device,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of the embodiment shown in Figure 3,

' Figure 5 is a fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view corresponding to the line 5-5 of Figure 3, j

Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view corresponding to the line 66 of Figure 5, while Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view corresponding substantially to the line 7-7 of Figure 5.

As shown in the drawing, the embodiment comprises a housing 10, secured to a hollow pedestal 11 by pins 12, having a hinged door 13 at the rear, and an annular opening 14 at the front surrounded by a disk 15 secured to o the housing by bolts 16, and the portion of the front wall defining the annular opening 14 is rabbeted, as at 17, for the reception of .a transparent disk 18 held in position by an annular flange 19 formed upon the forward ortion of a reflector 20, secured in position y the bolts 16, and the reflector 20 carries a lamp socket 21, for the reception of a bulb 22, adapted to receive electrical energy through a detachable plug 23 having one conductor 24 attached thereto and extending to one pole of a source of energy, which may be small dry batteries 25 accommodated in the hollow pedestal 11, and another conductor 26 extending to an interrupting device, indicated broadly at 28, the circuit being completed by a conductor 27 extending from the interrupter 28 to the other pole of the bat- W teriee 2s.

Serial 7 No. 521,447.

The interrupting device 28 comprises a block-29 of insulating material, adapted to be secured in the housing 10 by a bracket 30, and is provided with a conducting strip 31 supported at one end by a post 32, threaded into the block 29, held in position by nuts 33 threaded onto the post 32, between which is disposed the adjacent end of the conductor 27, and the opposite end of the strip 31 has a set screw 34 threaded therein and adapted to bear upon an adjacent portion of the block 29 and adjustable to vary the position of the strip 31 as permitted by the somewhat resillent character of said strip. Connected to the strip 31, as at 35, is an expansible-con- 85 .tractible thermally-responsive element 36,

preferably of nichrome, approximately .002

of an inch in diameter, having high resistance, a high coefiicient of expansion, mechanically very strong, and resistant to oxidation, extending through a bore 37 in the block 29, and at its opposite end is secured to a resilient actuating strip 38, preferably of phosphor-bronze, having an angular portion 39 fitting over a corner of the block 29, supported by a post 40 threaded into said block 29, secured in position by nuts 41, and at its free end having a contact plate 42 of nickel or silver; and by reason of the manner of mounting the strip 38 and because of its resilient nature, the free end of the strip 38 tends to spring away from the adjacent portion of the block 29, but is restrained in this tendency by the thermally-responsive element 36 connected thereto.

The free end of the strip 38 extends into cooperative relation with a transversely extending pin 43, preferably of nickel, adapted to engage the plate 42, and the pin 43 is carried by a wheel 44 accommodated in a cut-out portion of the block 29, mounted upon a shaft 45 having pointed ends 46 rotatably supported in socketed bearing members 47 and 48 carried by metalic plates 49 and 50 secured to the block 29 by bolts 51, and one of the plates, the plate 49 in thisinstance, has connected thereto the conductor 26. The wheel 44 normally is urged in a counter clock-wise direction, as shown in the drawing, or in a direction so as normally to maintain the pin 43 in 1 contact with the plate 42 on the strip 38, by means of a spring 52 secured at one end to the shaft 45, coiled about said shaft 45, and having its 0 posite end secured to an angular portion 53 ornied upon a lever 54 pivotally supported, as at 55, by the bearing member 47, and the lever 54 is movable through manipulation of a finger piece 56 to vary the tension of the spring 52 with reference to the wheel 44, and so to adjustably vary the interval of time occupied in an oscillation of the wheel 44.

The circuit of the device, when deenergized, is traced through the conductor 27 eading in through the strip 31 communicating through the thermally-responsive element 36 with the strip 38, thence through the plate 42 on the strip 38, through the pm 43 of the wheel 44, through the wheel 44, shaft 45, bearing member 47, plate 49, and through the conductor 26. When this circuit is energized the thermally-responsive element 36 which in its contracted condition is under tension and holds the strip 38 under restraint, immediately elongates, and permits the strip 38, by reason of its resilient nature, to impart an impulse to the pin 43 carried by the wheel 44, moving said wheel a considerable portion of a revolution against the resistance offered by the spring 52, and when the impulse has spent its force, the wheel is returned by the spring 52 to position to again make contact through the pin 43 with the plate 42, and strip 38, and the element 36 meanwhile having cooled and contracted and pulled the strip 38 to its initial position for the next operation, and make and break will then continue until the circuit is deenergized.

The device thus described is self-starting immediately the circuit is energized and due to the extremely small size of the parts continuous operation may be maintained with an extremely small input of electrical energy rendering the device of great value in many fields, and of particular value in connection with flashers used as road signals, it being apparent that each signal such as herein disclosed is entirely self-contained and yet of a character to be operative for long periods of time upon a small source of energy such as that supplied by small dry batteries 25 contained in the pedestal 11 of the device.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that I have accomplished at least the principal object of my invention and it will be further apparent that uses and advantages other than those particularly referred to are inherent in the invention, and it will also be appreciated that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention; accordingly it will be understood that the disclosure herein is illustrative only and the invention is not limited thereto.

I claim:

1. A circuit control device, comprisin a support; a leaf spring secured at one en to said support; a first contact operable by the free end of said leaf spring; a balance wheel mounted on said support; a second contact operable by said balance wheel; a spring for urging said balance wheel to a position in which said second contact engages said first contact; and a thermally-responsive means connected at one end to said leaf sprin intermediate the ends thereof, and adapted when heated by an electric current passing therethrough to elongate and permit said leaf spring to impart movement to said second contact and balance wheel to move said second contact against the action of said spring out of engagement with said first contact thus interrupting the circuit through sai thermally-responsive means, and when cooled through the interruption of the flow of current therethrough to contract and flex said leaf spring back to its initial position to permit said balance wheel to rotate in an opposite direction under the influence of said spring and move said second contact into engagement with said first contact to reestablish the circuit through said thermally-responsive means.

2. A circuit control device, comprising: a support; a leaf spring secured at one end to said support; a first contact carried by the free end of said leaf spring; a balance wheel mounted on said support; a second contact carried by said balance wheel; a spiral spring for urging said balance wheel to a position in which said second contact engages said first contact; and a thermally-responsive means connected at one end to said leaf spring intermediate the ends thereof, and adapted when heated by an electric current passing therethrough to elongate and permit said leaf spring to impart movement to said second contact and balance wheel to move said second contact against the action of said spiral spring out of engagement with said first contact, thus interrupting the circuit through said thermally-responsive means, and when cooled throu h the interruption of the flow of current t erethrough to contract and flex said spring back to its initial position to permit said second contact and balance wheel to rotate in an opposite direction under the influence of said spiral spring to a position in which said second contact reengages said first contact to reestablish the circuit through said thermally-responsive means.

3. A circuit control device, comprising: a

support; a leaf spring secured at one end to said support; a first contact carried by the free end of said leaf spring; a balance wheel mounted on said support; a second contact carried by said balance wheel; a spiral spring for urging said balance wheel to a position in which said second contact engages said first contact; and a thermally-responsive means connected at one end to said lea sprin intermediate the ends thereof, and adapte when heated by an electric current passin therethrough to elongate and permit said lea spring to impart movement to said second contact and balance wheel to move said second contact a ainst the action of said spiral spring out o engagement with said first contact, thus interrupting the circuit through said thermall -responsive means, and when cooled througli the interruption of the flow of current therethrough to contract and flex said leaf spring' back to -its-- initial position to permit said second contact and balance wheel to rotate in an opposite direction under the influence of said spiral spring to a posi-. tion in which said second contact reengages said first contact to reestablish the circuit through said thermally-responsive means, the circuit for said thermally-responsive means including said leaf spring.

4. A circuit control device, comprising: a sup ort having a bore provided therein; a lea spring secured at one end to said support: a first contact carried by the free end of said leaf spring; a balance wheel mounted on said support; a second contact carriedby said balance wheel; a spiral spring for urgin said balance wheel to a position in which sai second contact engages said first contact; and a thermally-responsive wire housed within said bore and connected at one end to said leaf spring intermediate the ends thereof, and adapted when heated by an electric current passing therethrough to elongate and permit said leaf spring to impart movement to said second contact with balance wheel to move said second contact against the action of said spiral spring out of engagement with said first contact, thus interrupting the circuit through said thermally-responsive means, and when cooled through the interrupt-ion of the flow of current therethrough to contract and flex said leaf spring back to its initial position to permit said second contact and balance wheel to rotate in an opposite direction under the influence of said said thermall -responsive means, and when cooled throng the interruption of the flow of current therethrough to contract and flex said leaf spring back to its initial position to permit said second contact and balance wheel to rotate in an opposite direction under the influence-19f said spiralspring to a position in which said second contact reen ages said first contact to reestablish the circuit through said thermall -responsive means; and means for varying t e period of oscillation of said balance wheel to correspondingly vary the frequency of the engagement and disengagement of said contacts.

6. A circuit control device, comprising; an oscillatable member normally urged in one direction having a contact forming one part of a circuit; a resilient member forming another part of the circuit and carrying a contact engageable with said contact of said oscillatable member; thermally. responsive means interposed in said circuit and connected to said resilient member and operable when cold to flex said resilient member and when heated to release said member to impartan impulse to said oscillatable member to effect separation of said contacts.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

JOHN G. ALBRIGHT.

- spiral. spring to .a ,positionnin which. said.

second contact reengages said first contact to reestablish the circuit through said thermally-responsive means, the circuit for said thermally-responsive means including said leaf spring.

A circuit control device, comprising: a support: a leaf spring secured at one end to said support; a first contact carried by the free end of said leaf spring; a balance wheel mounted on said support; a second contact carried by said balance wheel; a spiral spring for urging said balance wheel to a position in which said second contact engages said first contact; a thermally-responsive means connected at one end to said leaf spring intermediate the ends thereof, and adapted 

